SEC. 7. Whenever used in this Act, the term "federally owned or administered forest land" shall be construed to mean forest land in which, or in the natural resources of which, the United States has a legal or equitable interest of any character sufficient to entitle the United States to control the management or disposition of the timber or other forest products thereon, except land heretofore or hereafter reserved or withdrawn for purposes which are inconsistent with the exercise of the authority conferred by this Act; and shall include trust or restricted Indian land, whether tribal or allotted, except that such land shall not be included without the consent of the Indians concerned. SEC. 8. The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior may severally prescribe such rules and regulations as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. Each Secretary may delegate any of his powers and duties under this Act to other officers or employees of his Department. SEC. 9. Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to abrogate or curtail any authority conferred upon the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior by any Act relating to management of federally owned or administered forest lands, and nothing contained in any such Acts shall be construed to limit or restrict any authority conferred upon the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior by this Act. SEC. 10. Funds available for the protection or management of Federally owned or administered forest land within the unit concerned may also be expended in carrying out the purposes of this Act, and there are hereby authorized to be appropriated such additional sums for the purposes of this Act as the Congress may from time to time deem necessary, but such additional sums shall not exceed $150,000 for the Department of Agriculture and $50,000 for the Department of the Interior, for any fiscal year. Approved March 29, 1944. [CHAPTER 189-2D SESSION] (S. 45] AN ACT To amend section 3 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653; 16 U. S. C. 566). Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 3 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 653; 16 U. S. C. 566), is amended to read as follows: "That the Secretary of Agriculture shall expend such portions of the appropriations authorized herein as he deems advisable to study the effects of tax laws, methods, and practices upon forest perpetuation, to cooperate with appropriate officials of the various States or other suitable agencies in such investigations and in devising tax laws designed to encourage the conservation and growing of timber, and to investigate and promote practical methods of insuring standing timber on growing forests from losses by fire. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $9,000,000 to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act: Provided, That the appropriation under this authorization shall not exceed $6,300,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1945, $7,300,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1946, and $8,300,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1947." Approved May 5, 1944. (222) [CHAPTER 195-2D SESSION] [S. J. Res. 112] JOINT RESOLUTION Authorizing and directing the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior to conduct a survey of the marine and fresh-water fishery resources of the United States, its Territories, and possessions. Whereas the fishery resources of the United States and its contiguous waters are so varied and so abundant that the fishery industries at the beginning of the Second World War had assumed a world position with respect to the production of fishery commodities, second only to the position occupied by Japan; and Whereas despite the magnitude of these fishery resources and the economic importance of the fishing industry, the United States has failed to develop, to utilize, and to conserve her marine and fresh-water fishery resources to the fullest possible extent and to a degree commensurate with the development, utilization, and conservation of the resources of the land; and Whereas the wartime demands for fishery products as food, for fishery byproducts for industrial uses, and upon the fisheries as a recreational pursuit, far exceed even the most optimistic production estimates; and Whereas it is in the interest of all of the people of the United States to insure the fullest permanent development, utilization, and protection of the marine fishery resources of the high seas which may be subject to utilization by United States nationals, and of the marine and fresh-water fishery resources within the limits of territorial jurisdiction prosecuted both commercially and recreationally: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed to conduct a survey of the character, extent, and condition of all of the marine and fresh-water fishery resources and other aquatic resources of the United States, its Territories, and possessions, including high-seas resources in which the United States may have interests or rights; and the economic organization and status of the industry based thereon; such survey is to include but is not to be limited to the following: (a) The current methods, practices, facilities, and equipment used in producing commercial fishery products. (b) The methods, practices, facilities, and equipment used in processing, distributing, transporting, marketing, and storing fishery products, including an assessment of measures required for the protection of these perishable commodities. (c) The methods, practices, facilities, and equipment which may be practicable for expanding the utilization of the existing or potential 71-490 O-66-16 marine and fresh-water fishery resources, inclusive of recreational fishing. (d) The laws and regulations that govern the commercial and recreational fisheries. SEC. 2. The Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior is directed to submit a report to the Congress as soon as practicable, but not later than January 1, 1945, concerning the results of the survey mentioned in the preceding section, and also shall submit recommendations with respect to the following: (a) New or revised regulations or precautionary measures deemed to be necessary or advisable for the protection, conservation, and management on a sustained-yield basis of the fishery and other renewable marine and fresh-water resources. (b) New or revised regulations or precautionary measures deemed to be necessary or desirable to insure adequate protection of the fishery and other biological resources from contamination by pollution or other hazards, and to prevent spoilage or deterioration of fishery products; such recommendations to apply to catching, landing, processing, transporting, marketing, or storing fishery products or commodities derived from the fisheries. (c) The opportunities for, and the advisability of further arrangements for, coordinating fishery administration and management through State fishery compacts with the consent of the Congress (as authorized by article I, section 10, of the Constitution of the United States of America), and opportunities for, and the advisability of additional coordinated management and administration of, international fisheries. (d) The means of effecting the maximum utilization, consistent with their continued preservation at an optimum level of productivity, of the marine and fresh-water fishery resources utilized or potentially capable of utilization for commercial and recreational fishing, giving special consideration to methods of managing and increasing the fishery production of interior waters, including artificial impoundments and farm ponds. (e) New and improved methods of capturing, landing, processing, storing, distributing, and marketing fishery products or commodities, including increasing consumption as food and the industrial utilization of fishery products through public education, or other activities; such recommendations to contemplate the full and cooperative use of the personnel and facilities of appropriate State, Territorial, county, local, or other organizations, as well as those of private and industrial or other organizations and enterprises. (f) A program of economic stabilization of the fisheries and of Federal, State, or other assistance needed during the post-war period and thereafter to effect orderly development and expansion of the commercial fisheries and allied enterprises, and to secure and provide for the fisheries benefits comparable to those afforded the food production activities and industries dependent upon the lands. (g) A comprehenive statistical and market-reporting system to provide complete, accurate, and current data on production and fishing intensity in the commercial and recreational fisheries, to facilitate the most efficient utilization of the aquatic resources and the greatest possible benefits and returns there from, as well as for the purpose of providing fundamental information on rates of withdrawal in order that the effects of utilization upon the basic resources may always be known. (h) Special and regular appropriations necessary to establish a national policy and to carry out a program for the optimum utilization of the marine and fresh-water commercial and recreational fishery resources such as may be necessary to accomplish the specific purposes and objectives hereinbefore mentioned, including funds for the publication and dissemination of technical and practical information. SEC. 3. There is authorized to be appropriated, out of moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such funds as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this joint resolution, but not to exceed $20,000. Approved May 11, 1944. [PUBLIC LAW 318-78TH CONGRESS] [H. R. 4793] AN ACT To provide for emergency flood-control work made necessary by recent floods, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of $12,000,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated as an emergency fund to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers for the repair, restoration, and strengthening of levees and other flood-control works which have been threatened or destroyed by the recent floods, or which may be threatened or destroyed by later floods, and for completion of work begun under the Act entitled "An Act to provide for emergency flood-control work made necessary by recent floods, and for other purposes", approved July 12, 1943: Provided, That pending the appropriation of said sum the Secretary of War may allot from existing flood-control appropriations such sums as may be necessary for the immediate prosecution of the work herein authorized, such appropriations to be reimbursed from the appropriation herein authorized when made. SEC. 2. The provisions of section 1 shall be deemed to be additional and supplemental to, and not in lieu of existing general legislation authorizing allocation of flood-control funds for restoration of floodcontrol works threatened or destroyed by flood. Approved May 29, 1944. |